russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

This past weekend I re-installed Windows 7 on one of my computers, the computer where I do most of my work. Said computer has Microsoft Office on it, as well as Photoshop CC, Lightroom 5, PaintShop Pro x5, and many, many other programs.

When I moved to San Diego from Texas in April 1993, I left my life back in Texas and started anew. That meant buying a new computer and new software. I bought Office 95 and then over the years upgraded to Office 97, Office 2000, Office XP, Office 2003, Office 2005, Office 2007, Office 2010, and just recently Office 2013.

Unfortunately, I could not simply install Office 2013 since it needed the previous upgrade's serial number, which needed the previous upgrade's serial number, which needed the pervious upgrade's serial number..........all the way back to Office 95.

Yes, I have all the upgrades and their serial numbers, but we have to get serious here. Re-installing Office 95 and then all the upgrades would take hours, hours that valuable to me since I have bills to pay.

Thus, instead of doing all that, I chose to go with Microsoft Office 365, which is Office in the Cloud.

My impression: Oh, man, this is awesome!

I already expressed my opinion about Photoshop CC and how much faster it runs than Photoshop CS6. Office 365 has the same "problem." It cruises like a Stealth B1B bomber whereas Office 2013 was simply a bullet train.

Photoshop CC is $19.99 a month, or basically $240 a year. Office 365 is $99.99 per year. If you use any or all of Office — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, and/or Publisher — on a regular basis, I can highly recommend Office 365. You can also get individual programs — Word 365 for example — but I don't know the cost on individual programs since I didn't go that route.

Just the time savings in doing everything so much faster will allow my businesses to pay for the annual Cloud cost.

GPappy Loc: Finally decided to plop down, Clover, S.C.

Or you could just download Open Office. Open source software that does the same thing as microsoft and is completely compatible with it.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

Like a lease on a car or renting a home that you will never own. I am still using Lotus 123, Word Pro, and Lotus Approach from 2000. My car is a 2005 Ford Taurus. Might be old but it is mine. I guss next will be "Windows in the Cloud".

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

I have tried Open Office over the years and have not found it to be 100% compatible.

I have a lot of Open Source software that I sometimes use, Audacity and WordPress being the latest. Open Source software is great because anyone can contribute to it. Therein also lies the problem: anyone can contribute to it.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

None of the software is yours. You only have an End User License Agreement (EULA).

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

Yes, but it is in my hand and on my computer. I can take it off and put it back on as many times as I wish, and never do I have to pay for it again. If I had to pay Lotus (IBM) for the use of Lotus 123 at $19.95 each month since the year 2000, I would have paid out $3,112.20 by the end of this year. Cloud is like a magazine subscription, it is there for as long as you want to pay for it. You never stop paying for it. I don't like it.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

Are you implying that there's something wrong with magazine subscriptions?...........lol

There are lots of people who don't like the Cloud. There also are lots of us who do.

I can take all of my Cloud software off my computer and put it back as many times as I wish as well. The difference is that your software ultimately will quit working because it's not supported anymore. Lotus 1-2-3 has already been discontinued although it can still be had as part of Lotus SmartSuite. Of course, it's so outdated, but if one enjoys outdated stuff, great. Kind of like antiques -- beautiful to look at but I need modern stuff!............lol

Of course, you would have had all the upgrades, too, the latest and the greatest. That's what's so cool about the Cloud, the latest and the greatest is always on my computer.

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

You are right of course but I am not of that mind set. I still use Windows XP on a HP computer that I brought back in 2005. There is nothing wrong with magazine subscriptions if you want to keep paying for that subscriptions . The Cloud is subscriptions based. What if all you programs on you computer was from the Cloud. Can you see the cost? Soon all you will only have is a device to connect to the Cloud. And who is in charge of the Cloud and who is watching? Nothing personal about the PC any more. And yes, there are a lot of people who like the Cloud... not me. You can have the last word if you want.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

There was never anything personal about all the computers I have owned since 1978. They are machines. Although mankind is trying to make them personal with artificial intelligence, that hasn't occurred yet. Inanimate objects cannot be personal.

I think you have some misconceptions about the Cloud. For example, if you pay an annual subscription cost up front to Adobe, your software checks every 99 days for verification that you and your software/computer are who you say you are and what the subscription was for. If you pay monthly, then it checks every 30 days.

The software is still on your computer, and all your work, by default, is still on your computer. You have to subscribe to the Cloud storage and sharing in order to put your work up there.

The cash flow model for the Cloud is awesome for the businesses, so much so that prices have come down dramatically for those companies using the Cloud. Adobe's Photoshop used to be $650, and then with $199 upgrades every 15-18 months. That got extraordinarily expensive. Photoshop CC is a mere $20 a month, and there is no cost for an upgrade because you can upgrade it any time you want simply by clicking on Help ► Updates. So the upgrade cost automatically has disappeared, providing you with $199 to apply to the subscription.

In Microsoft's Office 365 case, it's worth noting that Office 365 can be installed on as many as five PCs simultaneously with the $99 subscription. And, unlike earlier versions, the license is tied to the user, not to the PCs. There are lots of little new features that many casual users might not notice but power users will appreciate.

I compared the cost of Office 365 to the same features in Office 2007 installed on five PCs. In 2007 it would have cost $3,500 for what you can now get for $99!

Bangee5 Loc: Louisiana

russelray, I was going to let you have the last word but I must correct you on what is meant by "personal computer". It has nothing to do with making it seem real like a person.

Personal
1: of, relating to, or affecting a particular person: private, individual.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

You said "Nothing personal about the PC anymore." That certainly made it sound like you were attributing human, personal qualities to it.

Maierfan

Back to the original subject, the "Cloud". I will not pay rent on my tools, I will not pay to be cheated, misled, or used by software makers. Let's not forget that the internet is not used by all of us and is, in the long run, a volatile entity that can be lost at any time. But to all of you who have the money, go ahead and enjoy it... it's only money.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

Exactly! It's only money, and you can't take it with you, so why not enjoy the things that money can buy!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

2005 Taurus old? I still drive my 1989 Mercury Sable.
But I do like the mileage I get -32 miles per gallon. A lot of "todays" cars don't get that.

liebgard

the cloud has its wonderful attributes, as you mentioned, but there are times the server or portal to it is shut down for maintenance, or your modem/router is malfunctioning and it might be at a time you absolutely must get something done on an ap you have on the cloud. Yeah, in the case of the modem, you can go to a WiFi hot spot outside of your home but that is inconvenient, time-consuming and not secure unless you have VPN.